FTA: "Not just remove the app, but also disable existing downloads of the app. Aka, the “kill switch”, which (as far as we can remember) has only been used once before."
And this is why app stores - as implemented by Google, Microsoft and Apple - are evil. 'Bought' an app? Think again.
> And this is why app stores - as implemented by Google, Microsoft and Apple - are evil.
Evil involves intent, not capability. For example, a car can hurt or even kill someone, but it's not evil. Someone who intentionally and willfully runs down pedestrians with a car would, however, definitely qualify.
Here's how the three companies have used their kill switch:
- Microsoft has used their kill switch once to disable a pirated app
- As far as I'm aware, Apple has never used their kill switch, even for pirated apps or apps that were pulled for various reasons (scams, tethering apps, etc.)
- Google routinely uses its kill switch to remove malware and "practically useless"[1] apps
So the the real questions are: is using the kill switch to combat piracy evil? What about malware? "Useless" apps? What about not using the kill switch at all for any reason?
And this is why app stores - as implemented by Google, Microsoft and Apple - are evil. 'Bought' an app? Think again.